Rotary mechanical apparatus



March 7, 1933. G. STAU BER ROTARY MECHANICAL APPARATUS 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24 March 7, 1933. GNSTAUBIER 1,900,620

' ROTARY MECHANICAL APPARATUS Filed April 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 7, 1933. G. STAUBER ROTARY MECHANICAL APPARATUS Filed April 24, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 7, 1933 res 'r rsN iaeaezie GEORG ST'AUBER, or BERLIN, GERMANY l ROTARY MECHANICAL APPARATUS Application filed April 24, 1931, Serial No. 532,62D, and in Germany January 23, 1931*.

My invention relatesin general to rotary machines, power engines and compressors of the type comprising a casing'with an eccen trically disposed rotor adapted to revolve' therein and equipped with vanes, flaps, valves or the like acting or adapted to confine working chambers or variable volume which, in

a certain position, that is to say at the moment, of least volume during operation, are entirely filled or charged with a suitable liquid. The surfaces of the liquid tending to move outwards during the revolution of the rotor due to centrifugal action, act in machines of this'type in the manner of piston surfaces, since the distance thereof from the axis of the rotor is variable and will considerably vary during each revolution due to and in accordance with the eccentric posi tion of the rotor. Machines of this type are susceptible of various modifications dependingupon whether they are intended for use as pumps, power engines-or the like. The particular constructions hitherto devised,

however, are either objectionable for certain concomitant disadvantages or incapable of performing the work they are designed and intended for, for the reason that the surfaces;

of the liquid do not remain intact during normal operations and during the regulation or controlling of the machine.

Themain object of my invention is to obviate the defects of machines of the type referred to, and accordingly the invention also comprises certain constructional measures and modifications for the particular purpose of having the said liquid surfaces remain intact or smooth during the normal operation and also during regulation whereby a satisfactory efliciency grade Wlll be secured.

Other detailed features of the invention will be specifically described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

The inventive idea involved is capable of expression in a variety of mechanical forms one of which, for the purposeof illustration and exemplification, is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, but it isto be understood that said drawings are intended for illustration or exemplification only and not for the purpose points II II of Figure 1;

Figure 2 is a viewin cross sectionibetween" Figure 3 is a sectional View between points I III'III of Figure 1; a

Figure 4- is another View in cross-section between points IVIV of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view in cross-section of one of the working chambers, confined by radial ribs, at the moment of rotation,v where the chamber shows about medium usefulfclear ance.

Figure 5ais a similar sectional View of. a 5

modified chamber confined instead of radial ribs;

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to that illustrated in Figure 5, but showing the chambytang ential ribs her at the moment of rotation, just prior to the point of itsmaximum useful clearance; and I I Figure 7 is a diagram showing the neces sary ratio between the stroke of the liquid and the eccentricity of the machine or rotor. The machine shown in the drawings for purposes ofexemplification is of the compressor type but can be also adapted for use as a, power engine, since in the latter case it will be necessary only to supply'the same. either with an explosive fuel mixture and causethe latter to explode, or with compressed gases and allow the latter to expand in the engine,

the constructional features of and the. objects aimed at by the invention remainingthe samein either case.

The machine shown in the drawings comprises'a casing composed of three parts, viz., sections 1, 2 and 3, whereof the parts 1 and 2 constitute the side walls while part-3 is the main body of cylindrical form firmly connected withparts 1 and 2' by means of bolts 4 and 5 or in any other appropriate manner. Mounted inthe end walls of the cylindrical casing are ball bearings 6, 7 and 8 for supportingshaft 9. It will be seen from Fig-- ures 1 to 4 that the said bearings are located eccentrically with relation to the centre line or axis of the cylindrical casing, the bearing 8 being a thrust bearing to prevent axial displacement of the shaft 9, the bearing 6 being secured in position by an annular cap 10 rigidly connected with the side wall 1 by means 5 of screw bolts 11 and 12 and the bearing 7 1 being secured in position by means of an annular member 13 firmly united with the side wall 2 by means of the bolts 14 and 15. The

.volve simultaneously with the shaft andserv-. ingnas a means .for securingvaxtight'fit between the shaft andthe end walls, ofthe statwo bushings 19 and 20 there'is provided on the shaft a sleeve 21 elongatedto fit in or fill the fulllength thereofibetween the bushings,

--and equipped with .two annular flanges. This flanged sleeve*21,may.be'made in one piece or -may consist of two symmetrical. parts or halves. as SllOWIlllLtlle'ell'lbOflllllQnt 1llustrated and which are nnmovably con- M ,nectedwith the shaft by/ means I of. keys 23 and 23 in keyways 22 and 22*, respectively. .Alight-fitting annularmember orrine 24. is insertedbetweenthe two flanges-of the sleeve 21 and securedthereto by, screws 25, .26, 27 28 with counter-sunk iheads,..so';that

' the circumferential -sur, faces .of ..the @two flanges would lie flush .with the router upe- .riphery, of the ring. 24 but for radialor ontwith the ring. 24. In theernbodiment shown there are provided tenribs29. each enlarged and shaped-ratuits outeror free endto form a longitudinalihole 30.for thereception, of a rod orapin3l :on the, projecting endsof which i va flap33f is disposed in .end .to end abutting irelation ,to the hole endof the rib 29,. as will sbereadily seeninlEigure '1, so' that thejjflans 33 willbe:connectedinpivot with the ribs 29 ,inithemannerof a hinge. i

;.The.outer ends of thle'flaps 33, areglikewise 9 venlarged nnd, shaped to form longitudinal holes or eyesfor'thereception of arod o Sha 34 whereof the projectiirqfree ends carry or are attached-in pivot to shoes 35displaceably y mounted ina circnlarsggroove 360i the bipartiterevolving (11 1111137 and 37?, as will beiseenlinliignre 1Thedrum is composed Qo'ftwo parts on=halves 37--an d3? for the pur- ;p.ose of facilitating ready. asseinbliae of the parts constitutingthe rotor, particularly the insertion of-the rods on shafts 34. and the diameter of thedrum is dimensioned to allow ,the latter to. freelyrotate-lwithin the cylindrical mainLbody 3 of the casing.

The drum necessarily must be locked with the shaft 9 .in order to rotatetherewith. The

,tionary casing. Intermediate; between the 1 to; act as controlling cylinders. The endavall -1 is a-ihollowbody as willbe, seeminF-igure with its extremities38 into bores provided in the end walls of the drum, as will be seen in Figure 1.

Aslincthe embodiment illustrated the ribs 29 are not connected with the shaft 9 except bythe widt-h'of the running ring 24, and not in full length, it is advisable to interconnect the inner corners'thereof by means of rings '56and-x57zas- SllOWI1-1X1-.F1gllfe 1, so;that the edges of the flaps can; be better. operatedqand tr11cd-upand,.on the other hand, the flaps will-thus be prevented ,from shimmying during the operation of the machine. Intermediate'between each pair of aadj acent ribs 29there are provided two shorter ribs 32 in the embodiment shown in the drawings, for purposes vwhichwill be explained furtherbelow. Boththe larger ribs 29 andtheshorter ribs 32 are integrallyconnectcdiwith therunning ring and, therefore, all of-the said parts are rigidly interconnected .whi-lefl-the ten-larger ribs 29 are further: interconnected by therings 5S and 57. I-Packing rings '58. and 9 59 are providedforthe purpose of-preventing the liquidfrom trickling: into-and through the interstices vbetween the drums 37 and the casing 1,2,3,

The inner-sideoftheendrwall lis shaped to form atubular extensien'53 gand-ithe other V V send wall 2iissimilarlyrshaped to form a like wardly pro ect1ng ribs 29 integrally formed extension 54511116: two-extensionsb eing adapted 1 ,1 to afford or iconstitutevan inlet passageway 1 39 which is int communication --with the. said tubular extension 53 ;-.-and further; with 'the rotor, an inlet; port lO beingprovided, forthe purpose in the. eireumfelgential wall of the exitension 53. Similarly zthe controlling-cylin- 1 der or= extensionfi lz of the end wall 2-vis provided with an outlet port 41 forrcommunicationwitlr the outletpassageway 42 formed by thehol'lowe11d--wall;2.

.The outletpassageway 42 is equipped with smeans for drying theexpelledgases a-ndifor i separating liquid particles from :the gases,

said-means comprising a 'rib 43 extending from the outlet-port 11 down in slantingposition' for the length of hal'fa circlearoundthe shaft 9 or the sleeve '21, as will-be seen'in Fin'ures 1 and 3 and further an annular artition ieforming a sump45for' the reception of liquid separated off dueto centrifugal .action, a bore 16 being provided in the'bot- 5011101 the sump for purposes of'discharging said liquid, while another openings? in the lowerpart of the end wall 2 serves the purpose of introducing fresh liquid into between the hinged flaps 33.

The operation of the machine shown in i the drawings for purposes of exemplification,

is as follows e V a The shaft 9 whereof the end 48 is provided with means for connection with a driving motor powered by electricity or any other source of power, acts to revolve the rotor structure comprising the parts 2etto 38, and to .causethe desired or required amount of liquid such as oil or water, to be supplied to i the individual chambers formed or confined 33 will be forced against the inner circumlowermost chamber then will have a least possible free volume. Due to this change of the by the ribs 29 and-flaps 33. Due to centrifugal action the liquidcontained in the chambers between the said ribs 29 and flaps or vanes ferential-surface of the drum 37, 37 and will form, when the rotor attains or runs with a sufiicient speed, a circular layer thereon as diagrammatically shown inFigures '2 to 4.

Due to the eccentrical arrangement of the running ring 24 relative to the periphery of the drum 3'? the volume of each individual working chamber formed by the ribs 29 and the hinged flaps 33 incessantly'changes during rotation, the said working chambers having, in the embodiment shown, at the time when they occupy a position vertically below the shaft 9 the largest possible free volume,

while the chamber diametrically opposite the free volume the liquid which at the lowermost position of the individual working chamber fills up only apart thereof, will be forced into the space between the radial ribs 29, when the working chamber moves into and reaches itstopmost position, and will consequently displace the air from above the sur face of theliquid.

Figure 3 is a view in cross-section taken on a vertical line passing through the outlet 41 in Figure 1 and it will be seen from Figure 3 that the said outlet port is provided just at the place where the working chambers have a least possible volume. The opening edge 49 of the outlet port 41 is situated suchwise that the desired or required final pressure of the compression will be just attained when the rib 29 passing the edge at a time commences to allow the content of the nextfollowing chamber or cell to flow out into.

the spaces lution so that the suction producedby: the

gradual increase of the volume of the chamber during revolution can be fully utilized. At the point of the circumference where the working chamber has or attainsamaximum' volume, that is to say, when the distance between the rotary axis and the surface of the liquid is at a maximum, ,thesuction ceases and therefore, the closing edge 55 of the in let port is located at this point, see Figure 4.

It will be understood fromthe herein before given description of the operation of the machine that the surfaces of the liquid in the several chambers act in the very same;

manner asthe piston surfaces of power engines of the piston type. i From this fact results the indispensable requirement that in order to secure unobjectionable operationof the machine, the liquid surfaces in the sev-, eral workingchamb'ers must remain intact or smooth or, in other words, must 'not be allowed to splashor to be; upset in any other Way.

the present invention, by the fact, that the radial movements of the liquidsurfaces always remain withinthe compass confined by the large radial ribs 29. The successful result of this fact The inclined positioniof the surface 51 see This requisite condition of the liquid in thechambers Wlll be secured, maccordance with will be readily understoodon 'inspectlonof Figures 5 and 5a. Y

Figure 5, does not produce or involve such 7 small angles as the inclination of the surface 51a in Figure 5a, showing tangential or nonradial ribs 29a. If, as in Figure 5a the angles between or formed by the surface of'the liquid and the surface of the ribs are too small, the surface of'the liquid is inclined J to break and back wash and be destroyed thereby. Consequently in the machine shown and described here the. surfaces of the liquid in the chambers are prevented from reach ing the circumferential zone in which the hinged-flaps 33 are located and work.

A further feature of my inventionrelates to the provision ofthe short radial ribs 32 for. purposes hereinafter explained with reference to Figure 6. If said ribs 32 were not provided either the surface 51 of the liquid would coincide with the line A and the clearance would be too large, or in other words, the efficiency grade of the machine would considerably decrease, or the surface of the liquid would coincide with the line B, that is to say, considerable portions of the liquid would escape through theoutlet all together with the compressed air. Thepro vision of the short ribs 32, however, entails a division or breaking of the inclination of the surface of the liquid at the end of the compression stroke, as will be understood upon inspection of'F'igure 6;

Another-feature of the present invention resides in the particular choice of the ampli- .tude of the stroke of. the surface of the liquid .forffthepurpose of contributing to a perma .nently intact condition of. the surface of the I liquid. Experience teaches, and from the hydrauliccompressors of the type in question .ashitherto constructed or; suggested it-will ,.be seen, that the radial movements of the surface of :theliquid entail. the danger of: liquid particles separating from; the bulk of the .liquidand being smashed into. foam, unless .means are providedto obviate this defect.

.Now,.the inventlon is based 1n part upon :theobservation. that the centrifugalaccelerv.ation. acting upon every liquid particle, al- 5 ways. must be greaterthan the. radial stroke acceleration in order to prevent separation of ..;such particles. [Inaccordance therewith a particular. relation between thev stroke. of the "liquid level and the .least distance of the 1iqui,1-1eve1 from the rotating. axis is main- The aforesaid requirement that the centrifugal acceleration always be greater-than'the radial stroke acceleration, will be secured or complied with by the fact 5'. kept, greater than V that is to. say, one half of the stroke of the liquid is; always-kept smaller than. the least or minimumdistance of the surface-of the liquid fromzthe axis C. 'Y

. A stilLfurtherfeature of thepresent invention residesin the particular mode of regulation or control. .In the embodiment of the invention shown for purposes of exemplification re ulationis accom 'lished b chane- ,ing or varying the charge of the'individual "working chambers by means: of the conduit or. bore 47' whereby the efficiency ofthe com- .pressor vwill be changed or varied without changingthe. speed. Foras .theliquid is tapped ofi' from'the conduit 4:7, the clearance in the working chambers increases so much thatfinally compression work will cease al- .togetherand compressed air will not be pro- 551 duced or supplied anymore. Thismode of regulating the machine affords the advantage .of maintaining the individual surfaces of the liquid in the chambers unbroken. N Themeans provided, according tot he'intvention, for drying the expelledair 1n the passageway e2 comprises, as herein before eX- plaiued the ribs 4.3 extendingin slanting position downwards from the outlet 4' for the M length of half the periphery and. the annular '';partition i4. Liquidparticlesentrained by that R is always :l1ver1ng gases comprising a cylindrical casface and the axis of. the rotor.

., the. compressedv air: and escaping: simultaneously therewiththroughthe outlet port 41 into the passageway. 42 will. automatically separatefrom the compressed air due to centrifugal action and willbe conveyed, with the. aid of vthe.rib .43, laterally and downwards. into the sump l5 wherefrom they will befreeto flow otfsthrough .thebore .46. It will be seenthat by the provision ofthe supply conduit 47; and. the discharge conduit orboredthe operator Will'bG enabledto re- .new the" liquid. in the machine; continuously .orintermittently during the operation. ofthe such. legitimate changes ,as may be .fairly v embodied withinthe spirit-.and scope of the invention as claimed.

part of said rotating flaps,the surface of the lrquid beingadap ribs.

'2. An englne or machine drivenloyor-"deted. tooscillate between these ing, a liquid. chargetherein, a rotor with ro-' .tating flaps, the latter being, eccentrically arlranged nrrelation .to the middle axis of the casing-and the eccentricity being smaller than the, smallest distance between. the liquid sur- 3. An engine or 'machinedrivenby or .de-

.livering gases comprising a cylindrical casing, a llquid' charge .therein, an eccentrically sltuated rotor with rotating flaps, the rotor beingprovided with radial longerand shorter ribs, the latter being located inthe spaces between the longer ribs.

.4. .An engines or machine driven. by .or'deliveringv gases comprising. a cylindrical :casing, a liquid charge therein,..an eccentrically situated rotorwith rotating-fiapaaneans be ing provided to vary thequantity of the liquid.

- 5. An engine or machine drivenby-or. delivering gases comprising a cylindrical casing, a liquid charge therein, an eccentrically situated-rotor with rotating flaps, conduits beingv arranged in the end wallsof the casing to vary the quantity of the liquid.

6. An engine or machine driven by or deliveringgases comprising a cylindricalcasing, a liquid charge therein, :aneccentrically situated rotor with'rotating "flaps, an'outlet for theescaping gases-or air being-provided in the casing andmeanslinthe Tsaidoutlet-to separate out the liquid particles entrained by the escaping gas.

7. In a machine or engine as claimed in claim 6 said means consisting of a slanting rib extending downwards over half the circumference of the casing.

8. An engine or machine driven by or de liveling gases comprising a cylindrical casing, a liquid charge therein, an eccentrically situated rotor with rotating flaps, a stationary control cylinder, its middle axisbeing in alignment with the axis of the said rotor, the cylinder being divided in two parts, the one being provided with an opening for the inlet and the other for theoutlet of the gases.

9. An engine or machine driven by or delivering gases comprising a cylindrical casing, a liquid charge therein, an eccentrically situated rotor with rotating flaps and radial ribs, the latter being stiffened by rings and the rings being fastened to the inner corners of the ribs.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

GEORG sTAUBE 

